Excel 4.x AppNote: Most Frequently Asked Questions Part 1 of 2
ID: Q104035
|
The information in this article applies to:
-
Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 4.0
-
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 4.0
SUMMARY
The Application Note "Most Frequently Asked Questions" (XE0800) is now
available from Microsoft Technical Support. This Application Note provides
detailed responses to some of the most frequently asked questions about
Microsoft Excel version 4.0. The questions, which were derived from polling
members of the Microsoft Excel technical support staff, are broken into
eight functional categories. These categories include, tips and tricks,
printing, working with text files, formulas and functions, macros,
workbooks, and working with other applications.
You can obtain a Microsoft Word formatted version of this document from the
Microsoft Software Library:
~ XE0800.exe
For more information about downloading files from the Microsoft Software
Library, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q119591 : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services
MORE INFORMATION
The following is part 1 of 2 of the complete text of XE0800.
For additional information, please see the following article in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q104283 : "Excel AppNote: Most Frequently Asked Questions Part 2 of 2"
THE TEXT OF XE0800
======================================================================
Microsoft(R) Product Support Services Application Note (Text File)
XE0800: MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
======================================================================
Revision Date: 7/93
16 Pages, No Disk
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The following information applies to Microsoft Excel, version 4.0.
OVERVIEW
========
This Application Note provides detailed responses to some of the most
frequently asked questions about Microsoft Excel version 4.0. The
questions, which were derived from polling members of the Microsoft
Excel technical support staff, are broken into eight functional
categories. These categories include, tips and tricks, printing,
working with text files, formulas and functions, macros, workbooks,
and working with other applications.
NOTE: Page number references are accurate ONLY in the printed
application note; use them in this Knowledge Base article strictly as
comparative reference points.
Tips and Tricks 2
Editing Templates and Add-in Macros 2
Displaying Leading Zeros 2
Omitting the Last Three Digits in a Large Value 2
Cell Protection 3
Working with and Resolving Circular References 3
Finding a Circular Reference with the Worksheet Auditor 3
Entering Non-Keyboard Characters 4
Microsoft Excel for Windows 4
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh 5
Creating a Custom Number Format with an Extended Character 5
Using the Keyboard to Move Around and Select Cells 6
Printing 7
Different Output/Different Printer 7
Microsoft Excel for Windows 7
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh 7
Disappearing Page Breaks 8
Working with Text Files 8
Importing Text Files 8
Exporting Text Files 9
Tab- and Comma-Delimited Files 9
Space-Delimited Files (Flat Files) 10
Printing to a File 10
Formulas and Functions 10
Exact Match in a Lookup Table 10
Combining Cell Contents 11
LINEST() Function 11
Correlation Coefficient 12
Macros 12
Debugging Macros 12
Using the Step and Evaluate Commands 12
Using Key Commands to Evaluate Portions of a Macro Statement 12
Using Key Commands to View Values Returned by Macro Statements12
Running a Portion of the Macro 12
Learning More About Macros 13
NOTE: The following three sections are available in part 2 of the
Knowledge Base version of this Application Note.
Workbooks 13
Displaying Workbook Files 13
Copying Workbook Files 13
Charting 13
Adding New Series Information 13
Changing the Plotting Order 14
Adding a Second Y-Axis 14
Using Microsoft Excel with Other Applications 15
Microsoft Word 15
Microsoft Word Version 2.0 for Windows 15
Microsoft Word Versions 4.0, 5.0, and 5.1 for the Macintosh 15
Database Applications 16
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TIPS AND TRICKS
================
EDITING TEMPLATES AND ADD-IN MACROS
===================================
How can I open a template file or an add-in macro sheet so that I can
edit it?
To open a template file or an add-in macro sheet so that you can edit
it, press SHIFT when you open the document:
- From the File menu, choose Open.
- In the Open dialog box, select the file you want to open and then
press and hold down the SHIFT key and choose OK.
DISPLAYING LEADING ZEROS
========================
How can I display leading zeros in a value such as a ZIP Code?
By default, Microsoft Excel drops leading zeros. To display leading
zeros in a value, create a custom number format using zeros as the
format symbols. When you use a zero as a digit placeholder, Microsoft
Excel displays the extra zero even when the number of significant
digits is fewer than the number of placeholders in the number format.
For example, to display leading zeros in a five-digit number:
- Select the range of cells you want to format.
- From the Format menu, choose Number.
- In the Code box, type "00000" (without the quotation marks).
- Choose OK.
This custom number format will force all entries in the selected range
to have five digits. For example, 1204 will be displayed as 01204, and
1 will be displayed as 00001.
OMITTING THE LAST THREE DIGITS IN A LARGE VALUE
================================================
How can I display a value without its last three, six, or nine digits?
In Microsoft Excel, you can display numbers with the last three, six,
or nine digits omitted by creating a custom number format. The number
will retain its value--it will just be displayed differently.
Displaying a number this way is useful when you have a worksheet
containing numbers that are very large and would therefore be more
readable if they were expressed in some number of units, such as
millions of dollars or thousands of dollars.
To display values so that a limited number of digits appear:
- From the Format menu, choose Number.
- In the Code box, type
0,,
where each comma represents three zeros.
- Choose OK.
With this number format applied, if you enter 60,893,232 in a cell
formatted with this custom number format, it will be displayed as 61
(the millions are rounded up). However, calculations referencing that
cell will use 60,893,232 as the value. If you enter a format of 0 in
the Code box, 60,893,232 is displayed as 60893. If you want 60893 to
be displayed with a comma, you can use the custom format #,###, (note
the comma on the end). In this case, the number 60,893,232 will be
displayed as 60,893.
CELL PROTECTION
===============
How can I lock or protect a specific area of cells on my worksheet?
To format a cell with a cell protection status of locked or hidden or
both, use the Cell Protection command on the Format menu. To enable
the cell protection status, choose Protect Document from the Options
menu.
The default cell protection status for Microsoft Excel worksheets and
macro sheets is Locked. This means that when you choose Protect
Document from the Options menu, all the cells on your worksheet are
locked and cannot be modified or formatted.
To lock a specific range of cells but leave other cells unlocked, you
must first select your entire worksheet and disable the locked
protection status. To format a specific range to be locked:
- Select the entire worksheet by choosing the Select All button to
the left of the column headings.
- From the Format menu, choose Cell Protection.
- Clear the Locked check box and choose OK.
- Select the range of cells you want to protect.
- From the Format menu, choose Cell Protection.
- Turn on the Locked option. Choose OK.
- To enable document protection, choose Protect Document from the
Options menu. Select the appropriate settings and choose OK.
You cannot enter data in the locked cells until you choose the
Unprotect Document command from the Options menu.
NOTE: While you can enter data in the cells that are not locked, you
will not be able to use any formatting options once document
protection is enabled. To turn off document protection, choose
Unprotect Document from the Options menu.
WORKING WITH AND RESOLVING CIRCULAR REFERENCES
==============================================
The status bar is displaying the message "Circular:<Cell Reference>,"
(where <Cell Reference> is an actual cell reference such as A1). What
does this mean and how can I correct it?
In Microsoft Excel, you can intentionally create formulas that depend
on each other for their results. For example, if cell A1 contains the
formula =B1 and cell B1 contains the formula =A1, a circular reference
has been created because both formulas depend on each other for their
answer. To calculate a circular reference, use the Iteration options
in the Calculation Options dialog box (from the Options menu, choose
Calculation).
More commonly, circular references are not intentional and result from
incorrect cell references in formulas or defined names. Microsoft
Excel displays the message, "Circular:Cell Reference" in the status
bar when an unresolved circular reference is on the active worksheet.
If the message displays the word "Circular" by itself, an unresolved
circular reference is on a worksheet that is currently open in
Microsoft Excel. In this case, activate each open worksheet until the
message displays a specific cell reference.
Finding a Circular Reference with the Worksheet Auditor
-------------------------------------------------------
When the worksheet that contains the circular reference is active, you
can use the Worksheet Auditor add-in macro to isolate the cause:
- From the File menu, choose Open. To load the Worksheet Auditor add-
in macro in Microsoft Excel for Windows, change to the LIBRARY
subdirectory (this directory should be located in the same
directory where you installed Microsoft Excel); in Microsoft Excel
for the Macintosh(R), change to the Macro Library folder (this
folder should be located in the same folder where you installed
Microsoft Excel).
- In Microsoft Excel for Windows, select AUDIT.XLA. In Microsoft
Excel for the Macintosh, select Worksheet Auditor. Choose OK.
- From the Formula menu, choose Worksheet Auditor.
- In the Worksheet Auditor dialog box, select Generate Audit Report
and choose OK.
- In the Audit Report dialog box, clear all the check boxes except
Circular References. Choose OK.
The time it takes to generate your Audit Report may vary depending on
the number and complexity of the formulas in your worksheet. Once the
Audit Report is complete, you'll have a complete list of all the
flagged cells on your worksheet that are involved in the circular
reference. You can use this list to sequentially check all the
formulas and defined name references to locate the circular reference.
ENTERING NON-KEYBOARD CHARACTERS
================================
How do I enter special characters, such as a trademark or degree
symbol, in a cell?
Many characters not available on your keyboard (extended characters)
can be used in a Microsoft Excel worksheet. For example, you may be
able to add a degree or trademark symbol or an exponent or other
mathematical expression to your sheet. The characters that are
available depend on the font you use to format a cell(s).You add
extended characters to your sheet using key combinations.
NOTE: If you are using Microsoft Windows 3.1, you can also copy
extended characters from Character Map; if you are using Microsoft
Excel for the Macintosh, you can copy them from the Key Caps desk
accessory.
Microsoft Excel does not support individual character formatting such
as multiple fonts within the same cell. Your cell must be formatted
with the same font that contains the extended character you want to
use. For example, if your cell is formatted with the Arial(R) font (if
you are using the Windows operating system) or with the Geneva(TM)
font (if you are using a Macintosh computer), the extended characters
you can enter in the cell must be part of the Arial or Geneva
character set, respectively.
To add special characters to your worksheet, follow the appropriate
procedure below.
Microsoft Excel for Windows
---------------------------
If you are using Microsoft Windows version 3.1, you can determine what
characters are contained within a font character set by opening
Character Map, which is located in the Accessories group in Windows
Program Manager, and selecting the appropriate font from the Font
list. When you select a character, its code is displayed in the lower-
right corner of the Character Map dialog box. This code will consist
of the ALT key plus a 4-digit number beginning with zero (0).
To enter a character in a worksheet, use one of the following two
methods:
- Use the character code in the lower-right corner of the Character
Map dialog box. For example, if you are using the Arial font, the
code for the degree symbol is ALT+0176. To enter the degree symbol
in a cell on your worksheet, hold down the ALT key and type 0176 on
the numeric keypad.
If you are combining an extended character with other text or
numbers, for example 10 degrees Celsius, type the number 10 and
then hold down the ALT key and type 0176 on the numeric keypad, (if
you have only a 3-digit code, you need to include the zero [0] at
the beginning of the number.) Release the ALT key and type the
letter C.
IMPORTANT: For these procedures to work correctly, you must use
the numbers on the numeric keypad.
-or-
- Copy the character from Character Map and paste it into a cell in
your worksheet. To copy the character, select it in Character Map
and then choose the Select button. This will place the character in
the Characters To Copy box. Choose the Copy button. Next, activate
your Microsoft Excel worksheet and select the cell into which you
want to paste the character and choose Paste from the Edit menu or
press CTRL+V. If you're combining the character with other text or
numbers, type your text, press CTRL+V and then complete your text
and press ENTER.
NOTE: Character Map is not available in Microsoft Windows version
3.0. You can, however, use character codes in this version of
Microsoft Windows. For a complete list of available characters and
their codes, see page 568 of the "Microsoft Windows User's Guide"
version 3.0.
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh
---------------------------------
On the Macintosh, to determine what characters are contained within a
particular font set, open the Key Caps desk accessory (located on the
Apple(R) menu). Key Caps contains an on-screen keyboard and a box that
will display whatever keys you select from the keyboard. You can
change the Key Caps font by choosing a new font from the Key Caps
menu. Initially, the keyboard displays all your normal keys. By
pressing and holding down the CONTROL, COMMAND, OPTION, and SHIFT keys
individually and in combination, the on-screen keyboard will display
the extended characters that are part of the particular font set.
To enter an extended character in your worksheet, use one of the
following two methods:
- In your worksheet, use the key combination that displays the
character on the Key Caps keyboard. For example, if you are using
the Geneva font, a degree symbol is displayed on the 8 key when you
hold down the OPTION and SHIFT keys while in Key Caps. To enter the
degree symbol in your worksheet, use the following key combination
in the cell where you want the symbol to appea
OPTION+SHIFT+8
If you are combining an extended character with other text or
numbers, for example 10 degrees Celsius, type the number 10 and
then hold down the OPTION and SHIFT keys simultaneously and press
8. Release the OPTION, SHIFT, and 8 keys and type the letter C.
-or-
- To copy and paste the character into a cell, do the following:
- In Key Caps, type the key combination sequence required to
display the character on the Key Caps keyboard. This will
display the character on the display line.
- From the Edit menu, choose Copy or press COMMAND+C.
- Switch to Microsoft Excel, select the cell into which you want
to paste the extended character in and choose Paste from the
Edit menu or press COMMAND+V. Or, if you're combining the
character with other text or numbers, type your text, press
COMMAND+V and then complete your text and press RETURN.
Creating a Custom Number Format with an Extended Character
----------------------------------------------------------
When you enter an extended character directly in a cell with or
without other numbers or text, the entry will always be entered as
text. If you want the entry to be treated as a value (for example, to
add or average a series of temperatures), create a custom number
format:
- Select the range of cells you want to format.
- From the Format menu, choose Number.
- Follow the appropriate procedure for your version of Microsoft
Excel:
- If you are using Microsoft Excel for Windows, type 0 (zero) in
the Code box, and then hold down the ALT key and type 0176 on the
numeric keypad. Release the ALT key and type the letter C.
- If you are using Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, type 0 (zero)
in the Code box, and then hold down the OPTION and SHIFT keys
while typing 8. Release the OPTION and SHIFT keys and type the
letter C.
When you enter a value in one of the selected cells, it will be
followed by a degree symbol and the letter c. Note that if you are
using a custom number format for an exponent such as 2 squared, the
exponent portion is treated as text and thereby ignored in any
calculation. For example, 2 squared plus 2 squared will calculate to 4
squared. Only the 2's are added and the cell containing the sum takes
its number format from the cells being added, resulting in the
exponent of 2 being appended to the sum.
USING THE KEYBOARD TO MOVE AROUND AND SELECT CELLS
===================================================
What are some keyboard shortcuts for moving and selecting areas on my
worksheet?
The following table lists some common keyboard shortcuts for moving
and selecting areas on a worksheet. Keys that must be pressed
sequentially are separated by a comma; keys that must be pressed at
the same time are separated by a plus sign. In a few cases, there are
two key combinations that perform the same action.
NOTE: If the Alternate Navigation Keys option is turned on, some of
these keyboard shortcuts will behave differently. To turn off
Alternate Navigation Keys, choose Workspace from the Options menu
and clear the Alternate Navigation Keys check box.
To do this In Windows press On the Macintosh press
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Move to the beginning of CTRL+HOME COMMAND+HOME
the sheet
Move to the last cell in CTRL+END COMMAND+END
the sheet
Move to the edge of the CTRL+arrow key COMMAND+arrow key
data block in the END, arrow key END, arrow key
direction of the arrow
key
Select the entire row SHIFT+SPACEBAR SHIFT+SPACEBAR
Select the entire column CTRL+SPACEBAR CTRL+SPACEBAR
Select the entire CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR COMMAND+SHIFT+SPACEBAR
worksheet if a cell is COMMAND+A
selected; if an object
is selected, select the
whole object
Extend the selection to CTRL+SHIFT+arrow key COMMAND+SHIFT+arrow key
the edge of the data END, SHIFT+arrow key END, SHIFT+arrow key
block in the direction
of the arrow key
Extend the selection up SHIFT+PAGE UP SHIFT+PAGE UP
one window
Extend the selection SHIFT+PAGE DOWN SHIFT+PAGE DOWN
down one window
Extend the selection CTRL+SHIFT+PAGE UP COMMAND+SHIFT+PAGE UP
left one window
Extend the selection CTRL+SHIFT+PAGE DOWN COMMAND+SHIFT+PAGE DOWN
right one window
Select the current data CTRL+SHIFT+8 COMMAND+* (on numeric
block keypad)
Switch to the next open CTRL+F6 COMMAND+M
document COMMAND+F6 (extended
keyboard)
Switch to the previous CTRL+SHIFT+F6 COMMAND+SHIFT+M
open document COMMAND+SHIFT+F6
(extended keyboard)
Switch to the next ALT+PAGE DOWN COMMAND+PAGE DOWN
workbook document
Switch to the previous ALT+PAGE UP COMMAND+PAGE UP
workbook document
Go to a specific cell F5 COMMAND+G or F5
or range (extended keyboard)
Turn Extend mode on or F8 F8 (extended keyboard)
off (used for extending
a selection)
Turn Add mode on/off SHIFT+F8 SHIFT+F8 (extended)
(used to add a
nonadjacent selection)
To extend a selection SHIFT+click the SHIFT+click the last
from the active cell last cell in the cell in the selection
(like Extend mode) selection
To add a nonadjacent CTRL+click CTRL+click
selection (like Add mode)
PRINTING
========
DIFFERENT OUTPUT/DIFFERENT PRINTER
==================================
I changed printers and now my worksheet is not fitting on one page.
What has happened and how can I correct this?
The most likely cause is that your screen fonts are mapping to a
different set of printer fonts on the new printer. For more specific
information about this problem and how to correct it, see the
appropriate section below.
Microsoft Excel for Windows
---------------------------
When you change printers, in most cases you are using a different
printer driver. This new driver may support a different set of fonts
than the printer driver you were using. As a result, different printer
fonts may be substituted, causing your printer output to appear
different or to no longer fit on one page.
The row heights and column widths on your worksheet are sized
according to your Normal style font, the default font in Microsoft
Excel. If the Normal style font is a screen font such as MS Sans Serif
(the default), when you print, this font is matched, or mapped, to the
closest matching font available on your printer. If the matching
printer font is slightly larger or if it is a monospace font (such as
Courier) rather than a proportional space font, your column widths,
row heights, and text size may change in such a way that the text is
truncated or fewer or more columns or rows fit onto a page.
How to Correct the Problem
If your data is not fitting as it once did but the text otherwise
looks the same, you can use Microsoft Excel's scaling features to fit
your document to the original number of pages. To do this, choose Page
Setup from the File menu. Under Scaling, set the number of pages wide
and tall you want your document to fit on.
If your fonts look different, use a TrueType(R) font (Microsoft
Windows 3.1) or a printer font (Microsoft Windows 3.0) for your Normal
style font as well as when you apply font styles and sizes to
individual cells. If you reformat your worksheet with a TrueType font
such as Arial or Times New Roman(R), you'll be able to switch printers
without any perceptible change (as long as TrueType fonts are
supported by your new printer driver). TrueType fonts function as both
screen and printer fonts and are supported by nearly all printer
drivers available in the Windows 3.1 operating environment. If you are
using Windows 3.0, you'll get the best results if you format your
sheet using a printer font and, when you change printers, you reformat
your sheet with a font that is available on the new printer.
NOTE: To distinguish among TrueType, screen, and printer fonts,
from the Format menu, choose Font. In the Font list box, you'll see
a list of available fonts. TrueType fonts will be preceded by a
double T, printer fonts will be preceded by a printer symbol, and
screen fonts will not be preceded any symbol.
To change the Normal style font and the font applied to individual
cells:
- From the Format menu, choose Style.
- Verify that Normal is selected in the Style Name box and choose
Define.
- Under Style Includes, clear all the check boxes except Font.
- Under Change, choose the Font button.
- Select a font from the Font list.
NOTE: If you are using Windows 3.1, select a TrueType font and if
you are using Windows 3.0, select a printer font.
- Make other changes as needed in the Font dialog box and choose OK
twice to return to your sheet.
- If you have formatted individual cells with a font size or style
other than the Normal style font, select those cells and choose
Font from the Format menu. If the font is not already a printer or
a TrueType font, select one that is or select the same font you
chose for your Normal style font. Clear the Font Style and the Size
boxes; by doing this, you only change the font, not the style or
size you previously selected. Choose OK.
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh
---------------------------------
While some printers use the fonts that are displayed on your screen,
other printers have built-in fonts that may be substituted. In this
case, when you change printers, a different printer font may be
substituted--this font substitution may cause your output to appear
different or to no longer fit on one page.
The row heights and column widths on your worksheet are sized
according to your Normal style font, the default font in Microsoft
Excel. If your Normal style font is a screen font such as Geneva (the
default), when you print, this font is either substituted with the
closest matching font available on your printer or your screen font is
used. To determine if printer fonts are being substituted or not, from
the File menu, choose Page Setup. If the option for Font Substitution
is selected, printer fonts are being substituted for your screen
fonts. In this case, since the Normal style font is a screen font and
since this font determines your column widths and row heights, if the
substituted printer font is slightly larger or if it is a monospace
rather than a proportional space font, your column widths and row
heights may change in such a way that text is truncated or fewer or
more columns or rows fit onto a page.
How to Correct the Problem
When your data is not fitting as it once did but the text otherwise
looks the same, you can use Microsoft Excel's scaling features to fit
your document to the original number of pages: from the File menu,
choose Page Setup, and under Scaling, set the number of pages wide and
tall that you want your document to fit on.
If your fonts look different, do one of the following:
- To quickly correct the problem, turn off the Font Substitution
option in the Page Setup dialog box. The quality of your printed
output, may be decreased.
-or-
- To get the best results, format your sheet using a printer font for
your Normal style font (follow the steps above in this article)
and leave the Font Substitution option enabled. Then, if you change
printers, the previous printer font will be substituted with the
closest matching font on the new printer. For a list of printer
fonts, consult your printer documentation. The most common printer
fonts are Times(R), Helvetica(R), and Courier.
DISAPPEARING PAGE BREAKS
========================
My manual page breaks are not displayed on my screen and they don't
seem to be working when I print my worksheet. Why?
This is most likely occurring because, in the Page Setup dialog box,
you enabled the Fit To X Pages Wide By X Pages Tall option under
Scaling to specify a certain scale. When you use this scaling option,
manual page breaks do not appear on the worksheet and are ignored in
print preview and the printed output.
To emulate scaling a document to fit a certain number pages and have
page breaks at specific rows and/or columns, use the Reduce/Enlarge
Scaling option. To determine the reduction percentage required to fit
a document to a certain number of pages, follow these steps:
- From the File menu, choose Page Setup.
- In the scaling section, select the Fit To option and indicate the
desired number of pages wide and tall. Choose OK.
- From the File menu, choose Print Preview to force the document to
be scaled according to the Fit To setting. Choose Close.
- Choose Page Setup from the File menu again. This time, select the
Reduce/Enlarge option in the Scaling section. The percentage the
document was scaled to while in print preview appears when this
option is selected. Choose OK.
If you now set manual page breaks, they are displayed correctly, your
document breaks where specified, and it appears in the appropriate
scale.
WORKING WITH TEXT FILES
=======================
IMPORTING TEXT FILES
====================
How can I import text files to Microsoft Excel from a third-party
application? For example, I have some text files that I have
downloaded from my company's mainframe system and I would like to
bring these into Microsoft Excel 4.0. How can I do this?
When you open a text file in Microsoft Excel, the way the text is
broken into columns depends on the character you choose to delimit
your fields or columns of text. You can also choose no delimiter and
parse your text after the file is opened. The most common column
delimiters are commas, tabs, and spaces.
When you open a text file, Microsoft Excel checks the document for the
column delimiter you selected in the Text File Options dialog box
(from the File menu, choose Open and then choose the Text button). In
this dialog box, the default Column Delimiter option is Tab; you can
also select the Comma, Space, Semicolon, None, or Custom option (when
you select Custom, you can specify any keyboard character). Once you
choose a column delimiter, Microsoft Excel places the text following
each instance of the specified delimiter in a separate cell. For
example, if your text is delimited by spaces and if you select the
Space delimiter, Microsoft Excel places the text following each space
in a separate cell. This process is called parsing and occurs
automatically when you specify a delimiter for your text file.
If you do not select the Space delimiter before you open a space-
delimited file, or if you select the None (no delimiter) option, the
text in your file will not be parsed; that is, each line of text will
appear in a separate row in column A only. In this case, after you
open the file in Microsoft Excel, you can break the text into separate
columns using one of the parsing commands.
NOTE: If you open a text file with no delimiter specified, you are
limited to 255 characters per row. All characters beyond 255 will
not be imported for any given row.
The parsing commands, located on the Data menu, are:
- Parse - This command parses text based on a fixed length or number
of characters per column, rather than parsing your text based on a
specified character.
For more information on opening and using the Parse command, see
pages 150-151 in "User's Guide 2" or the "Parsing" topic in
Microsoft Excel Help.
- Smart Parse - This command is added to the Data menu when you load
the Flat File add-in macro. Smart Parse gives you the option of
parsing your data based on a specified delimiter: This is similar
to specifying a delimiter in the Text File Options dialog box, with
the exception that the parsing is done after you've opened the text
file and that there is not an option to parse based on a tab
delimiter.
For more information on opening and using the Flat File add-in
macro, see pages 151-152 in "User's Guide 2" or the "Flat File
Macro" topic in Microsoft Excel Help.
NOTE (Windows only): When you open a file with a .CSV extension,
Microsoft Excel for Windows will always assume that this file is a
comma-separated values (CSV) file regardless of the selected
column delimiter. As a result, it will be automatically parsed
using a comma delimiter; if there are no commas in the file, the
text will not be parsed. For files with any other filename
extension, .TXT for example, Microsoft Excel will use the
delimiter you specify in the Text File Options dialog box.
When your text is parsed and placed into separate columns in Microsoft
Excel, you may find that some of the text entries in your file do not
appear as expected. These unexpected results may occur because of the
way Microsoft Excel automatically applies formatting to numbers and
alphanumeric characters. If you have a text file in which this
formatting is altering the values of your entries, there is an
Application Note available, "Opening and Saving Text Files" (WE0801
for Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh or ME0802 for Microsoft Excel
for Windows), which includes a Text Reader add-in macro. When you use
this macro to import text files, your text is parsed according to a
delimiter you select and each entry is formatted as text--this text
formatting prevents Microsoft Excel from applying automatic number
formatting.
EXPORTING TEXT FILES
====================
I created a worksheet in Microsoft Excel 4.0 and now need to export
this file from Microsoft Excel to my mainframe. How can I do this?
Just as you can import text files to Microsoft Excel, you can also
save and export worksheet files in text format.
Tab- and Comma-Delimited Files
------------------------------
To save your file in either a tab-delimited (Text) or comma-delimited
(CSV) file, follow the appropriate procedure below.
If you are using Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh:
- From the File menu, choose Save As and choose the Options button.
- From the File Format list, select either Text format for a tab-
delimited file or CSV for a comma-delimited file. Choose OK.
- If you want to rename your file, type a new name in the Save
Worksheet As box and choose OK.
If you are using Microsoft Excel for Windows:
- From the File menu, choose Save As.
- Under Save File As Type, select Text or CSV. Note that if you
select Text, the filename extension changes to .TXT; similarly,
when you select CSV, the filename extension automatically changes
to .CSV.
- Choose OK.
Space-Delimited Files (Flat Files)
----------------------------------
If you want to save the file as a flat file (a file that uses spaces
between the columns to delimit the file), you can use the Flat File
add-in macro. When you load this macro, the Export command is added to
your Data menu. To export your data:
- Select the area of the worksheet that you want to save to a flat
file format.
- From the Data menu, choose Export (this command will be available
only if the Flat File add-in macro is open). The add-in macro will
prompt you for a filename. Type in a path and filename and choose
Export. This file can now be opened in any application that
requires an ASCII flat file.
For more information on saving files from Microsoft Excel, see pages
147-150 of "User's Guide 2." For more information on opening and using
the Flat File add-in macro, see pages 151-152 in "User's Guide 2" or
the "Flat File Macro" topic in Microsoft Excel Help.
PRINTING TO A FILE
==================
In Lotus(R) 1-2-3(R), I have the option to print to a file rather than
the printer. This creates a text file with a .PRN filename extension.
How can I do this in Microsoft Excel?
When you print to a file in Lotus 1-2-3, a space-delimited text file
is created. In Microsoft Excel, you can create a space-delimited text
file by using the Export command that is available with the Flat File
add-in macro. For detailed information about using this command, see
the "Space-Delimited Files (Flat Files)" section above.
FORMULAS AND FUNCTIONS
=======================
EXACT MATCH IN A LOOKUP TABLE
=============================
I want to create a lookup formula so that it will only find an exact
match. If it doesn't, I want it to return the #N/A error value. In
addition, I don't want to have to sort my table so that the first
column is in ascending order. How can I do this?
In Microsoft Excel, the lookup functions LOOKUP(), VLOOKUP(), and
HLOOKUP() will find an exact match in a lookup table only when one
exists. If there is not an exact match, the function will return the
largest value that is less than or equal to the value you've specified
for the <lookup_value> argument. In addition, the first column in your
lookup table must be sorted in ascending order. To ensure that a match
is exact for a given <lookup_value> and/or to find it in an unsorted
table, use a combination of the INDEX() and MATCH() functions as
follows
=INDEX(table_array,MATCH(lookup_value,
lookup_array,match_type),col_index_num)
where <table_array> is the entire lookup table, <lookup_value> is the
value used to find the value wanted in the table, <lookup_array> is
the range of cells containing possible lookup values, <match_type> is
a number (-1, 0, or 1) specifying how you want your <lookup_value> to be
matched, and <col_index_num> is the column number in the <lookup_array>
for which the matching value should be returned.
NOTE: If the <match_type> argument is 0, MATCH() finds the
first value that is exactly equal to the <lookup_value> and the
<lookup_array> does not need to be sorted.
If none of the cells in the <lookup_array> argument match those in the
<lookup_value> argument, this formula will return the #N/A error
value.
For example, in the following table
A B C
--------------------------
1 Name Dept Age
---------------------------
2 Henry 501 28
---------------------------
3 Stan 201 19
---------------------------
4 Mary 101 22
---------------------------
5 Larry 301 29
since the "Name" range is not sorted, using VLOOKUP() to find the age
of Mary returns 28, the age of Henry. To find the age of Mary, use the
formula:
=INDEX(A2:C5,MATCH("mary",A2:A5,0),3)
This formula will return 22.
COMBINING CELL CONTENTS
========================
How can I combine the contents of two cells into one cell? I have a
series of last names in one column and first names in a second column
and I'd like to combine them into one cell.
In Microsoft Excel, to join the contents of two or more cells into a
single cell, use the ampersand to connect, or concatenate, the values
of the cells. For example, you can join first and last names or you
can combine a formula with text. The following table shows some common
uses of the concatenation operator (&):
A B C Formula Used in Column C
-------------------------------------------------------------------
1 John Doe John Doe =A1&" "&B1
-------------------------------------------------------------------
2 John Doe Doe, John =B1&", "&A1
-------------------------------------------------------------------
3 John Doe JohnDoe =A1&B1
-------------------------------------------------------------------
4
-------------------------------------------------------------------
5 10 5 The cost is
15 dollars ="The Cost is "&SUM(A5:A6)&"
dollars"
Use quotation marks to add any text to the concatenated string and the
ampersand (&) to add cell references or formulas. In the name
examples, quotation marks are used to add a space between the first
name and the last name (cell C1) and a comma and space between the
last and the first name (cell C2). Cell C5 contains an example of how
to add a formula in the middle of a text string. This can be useful
when you have a statement that uses the result of a formula.
NOTE: If a referenced cell contains a formula, the returned value is
displayed as a text value in the combined string.
LINEST() FUNCTION
==================
How can I return the additional regression statistics that are built
into the LINEST() function?
To retrieve the statistics that can be returned by the LINEST()
function, you must first select an appropriately sized array on your
worksheet. The array should be five rows high and two columns wide. If
your original data includes more than one x variable, your array
should include one extra column for each additional x variable. For
example, if you have three x variables, your array will be five rows
by four columns.
The syntax of the LINEST() function is:
=LINEST(known_y's,known_x's,const,stats)
By setting the <stats> argument to TRUE, you instruct Microsoft Excel
to return the additional statistics. If <stats> is set to FALSE, the
LINEST() function will return only the slope and the y intercept.
(See pages 254-258 of the "Function Reference" for a complete
discussion of the <known_y's>, <known_x's>,and <const> arguments.)
To create a LINEST() formula for the following table:
A B C
-------------------------------
1 Known Y's XVar1 XVar2
2 200 15 76
3 210 20 65
4 195 23 66
5 235 28 72
6 250 36 80
- Because the data includes two x variables, select an array that is
five rows by three columns. For example, you could select cells
E2:G6.
- In the formula bar, type:
=LINEST(A2:A6,B2:C6,,TRUE)
NOTE: For this example, you can omit the third argument of the
function.
After typing the formula, you must press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER in
Microsoft Excel for Windows or COMMAND+RETURN in Microsoft Excel
for the Macintosh to enter the formula as an array formula--you
will see braces ({}) placed around the formula in the formula
bar.
- Cells E3:F6 contain the additional regression statistics:
E F G
------------------------------------
2 1.017709 2.22756 90.57607
------------------------------------
3 1.167926 0.934885 76.37852
------------------------------------
4 0.840776 13.3242 #N/A
------------------------------------
5 5.280472 2 #N/A
------------------------------------
6 1874.931 355.0688 #N/A
The additional statistics are returned in the last three rows and
first two columns of your array. If your array has more than the
required number of columns (three in this example), #N/A errors will
be returned in the extra columns. To determine what each returned
value represents, refer to page 255 in the "Function Reference."
You can also use the Regression tools to perform regression analysis,
return the additional statistics, and automatically create best-fit-
line plots. The Analysis ToolPak includes an add-in macro that
provides statistical analysis tools. When you load this add-in macro,
the Analysis Tools command is added to the Options menu. Selecting the
Analysis Tools command will display a list of statistical tools.
CORRELATION COEFFICIENT
=======================
How can I retrieve the correlation coefficient?
In earlier versions of Microsoft Excel, it was necessary to use the
LINEST() function to calculate the additional regression statistics
including the correlation coefficient. In Microsoft Excel 4.0, the
RSQ() function uses the <known_y's> and <known_x's> arguments to
perform this calculation automatically. It returns a single value
representing your correlation coefficient (that is, the value
of R squared).
For additional information on using the RSQ() function, see pages 366-
367 of the "Function Reference."
MACROS
======
DEBUGGING MACROS
================
I need to debug a macro that I've written. What is the best way to do
this?
Most command-equivalent macro functions return the value FALSE before
they are run, TRUE if they are run successfully, and FALSE or an error
value if they don't run successfully. If your macro functions are
returning an incorrect or unexpected result or if one or more macro
commands cause your macro to halt in error, you can use any
combination of the following methods to isolate and resolve the
problem.
Using the Step and Evaluate Commands
------------------------------------
The step feature allows you to step through and evaluate your macro
commands line by line. To use the step feature, run your macro by
choosing Run from the Macro menu. After you select your macro from the
list, choose the Step button. You can then either step through or
evaluate the individual lines of your macro code. Step takes you to
the next macro command. Evaluate calculates each nested function
within a line of macro code, one argument at a time--this is a useful
way to isolate a problem within a specific line of a macro. While you
are in step mode, you cannot edit your macro. To exit step mode to
edit your macro, choose the Halt button.
Using Key Commands to Evaluate Portions of a Macro Statement
-------------------------------------------------------------
To evaluate a portion of a statement or an entire line of code in your
macro in the formula bar, select the area you want to evaluate and
press F9 or, if you are using Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, press
and hold down the COMMAND key and then press the EQUAL SIGN (=). This
will immediately calculate the selected portion of your function and
display the value in the formula bar.
CAUTION: Be sure to press the ESC key after you view the value;
otherwise the original formula will be replaced with the displayed
value.
Using Key Commands to View Values Returned by Macro Statements
---------------------------------------------------------------
To view the values returned by all statements on a macro sheet, press
and hold down the CTRL key, or the COMMAND key if you are using
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, and then press the ACCENT GRAVE (`)
key. CTRL+ACCENT GRAVE (Windows) and COMMAND+ACCENT GRAVE (Macintosh)
toggle between the view values mode and the view formulas mode. Press
CTRL+ACCENT GRAVE or COMMAND+ACCENT GRAVE to return the macro sheet to
view formulas mode. An alternative way to toggle between view values
and view formulas is to choose Display from the Options menu and
select or clear the Formula check box (when a macro sheet is active,
the default view is view formulas).
Running a Portion of the Macro
------------------------------
If your macro is long, you may want to test small portions of it to
isolate problems. To divide your macro into more manageable sections,
do the following:
- Activate your macro sheet. At the end of the range of macro code
that you want to test, insert a row and type "=HALT()" (without
the quotation marks). This will stop execution at this point
in the macro.
- Activate the document from which you are running your macro and
choose Run from the Macro menu.
- With the dialog box active, choose the macro sheet name from the
Window menu and select the cell containing the first line of macro
code that you want to test. This will place the macro cell
reference in the Run Macro dialog box.
- Choose OK or Step.
The macro will stop where it encounters the HALT() function.
LEARNING MORE ABOUT MACROS
==========================
How can I learn more about writing macros?
In addition to reviewing Chapters 6-7 in "User's Guide 2," you can use
the Recorder command (located on the Macro menu) as a learning tool.
You can use the macro recorder to learn command structure, syntax, and
which macro commands perform which actions. When you record key
combinations, menu command selections, and mouse actions, they are
automatically placed in a macro sheet. You can then review this sheet
to gain a better understanding of the macro functions that perform the
actions you recorded. If you need to use non-command-equivalent
functions, such as information, reference, or customizing functions,
you must manually add these to your macro. For additional information
on what functions fall into these categories, see pages xv-xliii in
the "Function Reference."
For more information about recording a command macro, see pages 216-
219 of "User's Guide 2."
For more information about writing macros, see the "Complete Guide to
Microsoft Excel Macros" by Charles Kyd and Chris Kinata, or "Microsoft
Excel Macros Step by Step" by Steve Wexler and Julianne Sharer. To
order these books, call Microsoft Press(R) at (800) 677-7377
(800-MS-PRESS).
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional query words:
4.00a
Keywords : kbappnote kbfile
Version : WINDOWS:4.0; MACINTOSH:4.0
Platform : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type : kbinfo
Last Reviewed: April 6, 1999